The One Beauty Tool You Really Shouldn’t Spend Money On

When I was in high school, a teen magazine suggested that I should start brushing my eyebrows. At that point, I was interested in makeup, but eyebrow grooming wasn't something I'd considered. So I did as the magazine suggested, and took an old mascara wand and cleaned it with soap and water for ten minute until all of the black gunk was gone. The bathroom sink was a disaster, but voila—I had my first makeshift eyebrow brush.

Often referred to as a spoolie in the beauty industry, this brush, which is ideal for shaping brows, is getting more attention recently as natural, full, yet groomed eyebrows have come into style. And a plethora of beauty brands are jumping on the trend by selling eyebrow gels, pencils, powders, and yes, brushes. On sephora.com, these fancy brushes sell for up to $20 a pop, making them another investment piece to add to your brush collection.

While I’d seen these brushes around, the cost never seemed worth it when my improvised mascara wand seemed to do the trick. That is, until I was trying on makeup at Sephora one day and stop myself mid-mascara stroke. The store provides at different try-on station tissues, sponges, eyeshadow brushes, and spoolies galore so you can try on all of the products without fear of cross-contamination from sharing brushes with other shoppers. Rather than pay $20 for the spoolie brush in the makeup tools aisle, I could pick up a few of these brushes for free at the mirrors. Pair it with your favorite gel or use it on its own to brush brows into a perfect arch.

Fortunately, some products, such as Glossier’s Boy Brow ($16; glossier.com,) come in a tube, along with a spoolie applicator and the gel or brow tint. This way, you won’t have to shell out even more money for a tool to apply the brow product you just bought. Apply the pomade in short, upward strokes, and your brows will stay polished all day. It’s one tiny change to your beauty routine, but you'll be surprised how much well-groomed brows help frame your face.